Clasp-knife



(No Model.)

3.0. KRUSCHKB.

CLASP KNIFE.

N0. 462,141. Patented Oct. 27, 1891,

/NVENTOR THNEYS proved Clasp-Knife,of which the following is UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUDOLPH C. KRUSCHKE, OF DULUTH, lNIINNEVSVOTA.

CLASP-KNIFE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,141,'dated October27', 1891. Application filed Maroh'S, 1891. Serial Nh. 383,592. (Nomodel.)

To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, RUDOLPH C. KRUSCHKE, ot Duluth, in the county of St.Louis and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Inia full, clear,and exact description.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, inwhich similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure lis a perspective view of my iniproved claspknife- Fig. 2 is asectional side elevation with one side of the handle removed, the bladebeing open. Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation with the opposite sideof the handle removed, the blade being open. Fig. 4 is a sectional sideelevation with one side of the handle removed, showing theblade closed.Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on the line a: a: in Fig. 4c. Fig.6 isan enlarged transverse section taken on line y y in Fig. 3. Fig. 7is a longitudinal section of the knit'e taken in the plane parallelvwith the pivot ot' the blade. Fig. 8 is a perspective view of thebladereleasing lever, and Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the spring. Myinvention is an improvement in the class of clasp-knives whose bladesmay be released by the hand holding the knives and will then beautomatically thrown out into the open position by means of a spring.

The improvement consists in the special construction and arrangement ofparts, as hereinafter set forth.

The handle A is formed of the side pieces B B and the forked spring C,the side pieces being secured in place by rivets passing through theside pieces and the spring in the usual way. The blade D is pivoted on arivet d, extending transversely through the handle, and upon oppositeedges of the pivoted end of the blade are formed the lugs b h', whichare located on diametrically opposite sides of the pivotal rivet a..Thefree end of the spring C is split, forming two arms c d. The arm cextends along the back of the handle and is furnished with a T-shapedend e, which reaches laterally across the handle :near the end and restsnormally in notches formed in the edges of the nuts at the end of thehandle.

The T-shaped ende of the spring C is provided with an apertureftoreceive either of the lugs b b. The arm d of the spring C curvesinwardly and bears upon the shoulder g on the blade D, tending-to throwthe blade open. B is formed a recess i, in which is pivoted aright-`angled lever j, the shorter arm of which is bent inwardly towardthe center of the handle and furnished with a lug It', projecting towardthe arm cof the spring C. Thelonger arm of the lever j is jointed to abar Z, which lies in the recesst' and is provided with a stud m, whichprojects through a slot in the metal lining h and enters a hole in oneend of' the bar n on the outside'of the lining and within thecheek-piece o ot1 the handle. The other end of the bar n is connected bya stud eX- tending outwardly through a slot in the cheekpiece 0, with asliding plate p insertedI in a recess in the outer side of thecheek-piece o. The sliding plate p is ribbed on its outer surface forengagement by the thumb or finger. The knife being closed, as shown inFigs. l and 4, and the arm d of the spring C being under compression,when the sliding plate p is moved toward the butt of the handle, the

In the metal lining 71. of the side piece lever j is tilted, the arm cof the spring C is i pushed outwardly and the lug b is released, and thespring-arm g throws the blade outward with sufiicient force to cause itto open wide and thus bring` the lug h opposite the hole ein thespring-arm c, when the lug is engaged by the spring and the blade issecurely held in an open position.

Vhen it is desired to close the knife, the

sliding plate p is again moved in the same direction as before, thustilting the lever] and releasing the lug b, when the blade may beclosed.

My improved knife is designed for the use` IOO right-angular leverj,pivoted at its angle near the rear end of the blade and adapted toengage said spring for releasing the blade, and

means for Operating the lever, substantially as 5 shown and described.

2. In a clasp-knife, the combination Of the handle A, the bladeD,pivoted in Jche handle and furnished with lugs O b', the spring C,having the T- headed perforated arm c, adapted to engage the lugs b Z2and armd for ro throwing-.the blade Open, the angled releasing-lever j,rods Z n, and slidepsubstantially as specified.

RUDOLPH C. KRUSCHKE.

Wtnessem JOSEPH B. COTTON, AUSTIN N. MOGRUNLEY.

